Me With You
by Girl in a White Dress
Summary: Of all the women in D.C., you had to fall for a Republican. [This story is on permanent hiatus.]
1. one

Summary: "Of all the women in D.C., you had to fall for a Republican." Sam/Ainsley

Disclaimer: Not my characters, alas.

A/N: A companion piece to my CSI Miami fic "Inheritance" (storyid 2079012). Consider this a prequel, kind of.

* * *

I see me with you and all the things you do

Keep turning round and round in my mind

Forget the weather we should always be together

Any other thought is unkind

Sting, "We'll Be Together"

* * *

Sam was reading through the notes Toby had made on his speech when there was a tentative knock on the door. He looked up, eager for a distraction, and smiled when he saw what form it came in.

"Ainsley, hi."

She stepped into his office. "Do you have a free minute?"

"Of course. Have a seat."

Ainsley closed the door before sitting down.

"That's going to get people talking."

"Because, you know, none of them have any actual work to do."

Sam chuckled. "What's on your mind?"

"I . . . Well, I just wanted to thank you for being so great. I mean, compared to a lot of other people who work here. You got over the fact that I'm a Republican pretty quickly and I'm really glad we got to be friends. You're not so bad, for a Democrat." She smiled, then self-consciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'm glad we're friends too."

"It's been good working with you."

"Wait a second. What are you talking about? You're not leaving, are you?" He wondered why he suddenly felt as if he'd been sucker-punched.

Ainsley nodded. "I am."

"Why?"

She stared past him; her gaze focused on something beyond his shoulder. "Do you have any idea how hard it's been to work in the same building with hundreds of people who hate what I stand for?"

"That's not why you're quitting. You couldn't care less what other people think of you."

"Maybe that's just what I want you to think."

Sam remembered finding her in tears in her "office" after receiving a bouquet of dead flowers. Yeah, he thought, maybe she did care. "Did you come here so I could talk you out of it?"

"No. I've handed my letter of resignation to Leo already. I came because – Well, we're friends and I hope we can still be friends and, you know, indirectly it's all your fault I ended up here anyway." She shrugged. "I just don't feel like I'm doing anything worthwhile here, you know?"

Sam nodded; he had moments where he felt useless. He'd lost count of all the times he'd been left out of the loop. "So what are your plans? Are you staying in D.C.?"

"Yeah. My cousin and I are going into partnership." Her smile turned sly. "Hey, if you ever want out, you're more than welcome to join us."

He laughed. "Ask me in four years."

Ainsley stood, smoothing her hands over her skirt. "See you around, Sam."

He watched her leave, the speech forgotten. When Josh came in half an hour later, Sam was still staring into space.

"Sam, you joining us for drinks tonight?"

"Hmm?"

Josh waved his hands in front of Sam's face. "Earth to Sam?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

"There's a first."

The comment didn't get the desired response. Sam just shook his head. "Ainsley's resigned."

"One less Republican roaming the White House halls." Josh chuckled at his own cleverness, then stopped at the look on Sam's face. "Uh, is there something you need to be telling me?"

"I don't know."

"'Cause you'd tell me if there was anything going on with you and Ainsley, right?"

It was clear Sam hadn't heard a single word. "She said she wanted to thank me for being her friend. Do you think that was supposed to mean something? You know, like in secret woman code or something?"

"Secret woman code?" Josh laughed. "I don't know, did you want it to mean something?"

"Do you think I should get her something? To say good luck for her new job."

Josh leaned against the doorjamb, enjoying his friend's confusion. He jumped at the tap on his shoulder and turned to see Donna holding out a file. "Hey, Donna, did you know Ainsley resigned?"

"Yes."

"Yes? How'd you know before I did?"

Donna smirked. "Ainsley's my friend. When she speaks, I listen."

Josh jerked his head in Sam's direction. "She just told Sam. He's not taking it so well."

"Some friend you are." Donna entered the office and sat on the edge of the desk. "Hey, Sam."

"Hey."

"You know, I try not to meddle in other people's lives—"

Josh snorted. A quick glance from Donna was enough to silence him.

"As I was saying, I try not to meddle but you're my friend and she's my friend and, well, you're both idiots. If you like her, go out with her. If you really like her, make an effort to see her."

"Donnatella Moss, advisor to the lovelorn."

"Joshua Lyman, if you're not careful I have all sorts of things I can say to you."

Josh straightened, suddenly serious. "You know, Sam, you should listen to Donna."

The window rattled as a pink ball bounced off it. Josh and Donna looked through the glass at Toby, his face set in its usual frown.

"Sam, how's that speech coming?" Josh kept his tone casual.

Sam blinked, then looked at the computer screen. "Oh, crap. The speech."

* * *

After the irregular work hours Ainsley kept at the White House, it felt strange to be home before nine. She sat down to write an email to her cousin, Calleigh, a criminalist in Miami. They were only a couple of months apart in age and had been close growing up. Remarkably similar in appearance – they favored their paternal grandmother – they thought of each other as sisters more than cousins.

Ainsley had just sent the email when there was a knock at the door. When she looked through the peephole and saw who her surprise visitor was, Ainsley wished she was wearing anything other than the sweatsuit she had on. Then again, she thought, Sam had seen her in a bathrobe before.

She opened the door. "Hi."

"Hey, Ainsley. Uh, is this a bad time? I just finished a meeting and—"

"It's okay. Come in." She stepped aside to let Sam enter. "Have you eaten yet?"

"It's almost ten."

She shrugged as if to say, so what?

Sam held up a cardboard box. "I thought about getting flowers but I thought this was more your style."

Curious, Ainsley took the box and peeked inside. Then she broke into a smile. "Chocolate chip muffins! Be still my heart!"

She took his hand and led him to the kitchen. "So, have you eaten yet?"

"Uh, no."

Ainsley set the muffins on the counter and took out two plates. She opened the refrigerator and scanned the contents, wondering what to feed Sam.

"Ainsley, you live alone, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Your refrigerator's pretty full for just one person."

"I have a healthy appetite." She smiled, even though her back was to him and he couldn't see it. "If you think this is a lot of food, you should see my mother's refrigerator."

"Where do you put all that food? You're tiny."

She took out a pasta salad and turned back to Sam, hoping her blush didn't show. "Good genes, I guess. Do you like pasta? I'd offer something else but my microwave's broken and I can't heat anything. Or you could have a muffin but that's not really dinner."

"The salad's fine. Thanks." He seemed at ease in her kitchen, leaning against the counter as if he did it all the time.

"You know, I didn't even ask what you're doing here."

"I, uh, well you said you hoped we could stay friends and I wanted to, uh, say good luck for the new job. And I had a whole lot of muffins I didn't know what to do with."

Ainsley grinned. Sam was adorable like this. She had the urge to kiss him, but didn't. Instead, she presented him with a plate of pasta salad and said, "Bon appetite."

* * *

Josh looked at his friend and shook his head sadly. "Of all the women in D.C., you had to fall for a Republican."

Sam smiled. "She fed me."

"I'm sorry, I thought you said she fed you."

"Yes, pasta salad. Then we had muffins."

"That's not some secret code for 'I slept with the Republican sex kitten', is it?" Josh was oblivious to the stares that comment earned him from the people they passed on their way to the morning staff meeting.

Sam glared at Josh.

"You did!" Josh slapped Sam's back in a congratulatory 'You da man' gesture.

"No, I did not. We chatted for a while and then I went home."

Josh wasn't put off. "Did you at least kiss her?"

"Not that it's any of your business anyway, but no."

"No? So why'd you go over there? I thought you were going to woo her."

Sam's forehead creased in confusion as they reached Charlie's desk. "Do people still actually use the term 'wooing'?"

"Who wants to know?" Charlie asked.

"Sam's wooing Ainsley." Josh lowered his voice, as if he was imparting a state secret. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Really?" Charlie gave an appreciative nod. "Go Sam."

"I am not." Sam thought about the previous night. Ainsley didn't share her food with just anyone, especially if there was chocolate involved. He'd almost kissed her goodnight. "Okay, maybe just a little bit."

"He gave her muffins," Josh confided.

"That's not some secret code—"

"No. What is it with you people?" Sam shook his head. When the door to the Oval Office opened, he was first inside, eager to end this conversation.

"Well," Josh said to Charlie, "I guess he could do worse."

* * *

Ainsley was early for lunch. She studied the menu while she waited for her cousin, Nathaniel, to arrive. Like her, he was a lawyer, though he had little interest in politics. His wife had died in a car accident a year ago, leaving him with two daughters. He'd agreed to start the firm with Ainsley as it would give him more time to spend at home.

"Hey."

She looked up, unable to hide her smile. "Sam?"

"I have a meeting." He tilted his head in the direction of his table. "I thought it'd be rude not to say hi."

"Well, hi."

"Hi."

They grinned at each other until another male voice interrupted. "Sorry, I'm late, Ains. Deposition ran overtime."

Ainsley noted a flicker of jealousy in Sam's eyes as her cousin kissed her cheek. "No problem. Nate, this is Sam Seaborn. Sam, my cousin, Nate."

The men shook hands. "Uh, I'd better get back to my meeting. See you, Ainsley."

She watched Sam make his way across the restaurant. Nate cleared his throat, his expression amused. "So, that's Sam, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Uh huh. He's not good enough for you."

Ainsley smiled. "According to you, no one's good enough for me."

Nate shrugged. "Can't argue with the truth."

Ainsley glanced back at Sam. He was looking at her. "I think you may be wrong this time, Nate. Sam's not like other guys."

"You know, you're right. He's prettier than most."

Ainsley rolled her eyes. "Nate."

"Isn't he the guy you wiped the floor with on 'Capital Beat'?"

"Well, I wouldn't put it quite like that—"

Nate laughed. "Whatever you say, Ains. Whatever you say."

* * *

Sam entered Josh's office without knocking. "I'm going to marry her."

Josh choked on his coffee, spitting half onto his desk. "What? You proposed?"

"No. I just had this, I don't know, an epiphany during lunch. I'm going to marry her."

"Are you even dating yet?"

Sam sat down. "No. Not yet. But I'm going to ask her out."

"Does Ainsley know about the engagement?"

"Who's engaged?" Donna entered with a file.

"Sam had an epiphany."

Donna turned to Sam. "About what?"

"He's going to marry Ainsley."

"Really? Does Ainsley know?"

"Hey, you don't have to talk about me like I'm not here." Sam stood, tugging irritably at his tie. "And don't, you know, tell anyone what I said."

"Especially Ainsley, huh?" Donna grinned at Josh.

Sam groaned and left the office. His friends were supposed to help him, not tease him. When he reached his own office, he closed the door and picked up the phone.

"Ainsley, hi. It's me. Uh, listen, I was wondering – Do you have plans for dinner tonight?"

TBC . . .


	2. two

__

A/N: Thanks for the feedback. This part picks up a couple of weeks after the first one. Happy reading.

* * *

Like a typical Blue Monday, everything was going wrong for Sam. He'd overslept, then discovered one of his car tires were flat and he had managed to find the only cabbie in D.C. who didn't know where the White House was. He sprinted down the halls and burst into the Oval Office, breathless, arriving just in time for the end of the staff meeting.

"Morning, Sam," President Bartlet said, sounding amused.

CJ grinned and said, almost too cheerfully, "Spanky! You've been holding out on us."

Sam glanced at his coworkers, trying to gauge from their facial expressions what she was talking about. For a change, they were giving nothing away. Sam shrugged and sat on the couch next to Josh. "Whatever it is, I didn't do it."

Josh choked on his mouthful of coffee.

"Interesting choice of words, mi amor." CJ gracefully crossed her legs and passed Sam the most recent copy of _Scoop_, a tabloid magazine. It was opened to a photograph of Sam and Ainsley at a restaurant, snapped as Sam had reached out to tuck Ainsley's hair behind her ear. The caption read 'Taking bipartisan relations to a whole new level'.

Sam stared in horror at the article.

"I have to say," Bartlet said, "it's a good photo."

"I don't see what the big deal is." Josh took the magazine and scanned the article. "Compared to some of the other women Sam's dated, I mean. And besides, Ainsley's hot. He could do worse."

Sam gave Josh a strange look. "Thanks."

"You knew!" CJ squealed. She grabbed the magazine, rolled it up and hit Josh's head. "You knew they were dating!"

Bartlet, unsure just how exactly his office had devolved into a first grade classroom, coughed to clear his throat. These were the people he trusted to help him run the country, he thought. "As interesting as Sam's love life is, could we possibly focus?"

Sam smiled gratefully.

Bartlet made a show of looking at his file, then looked at Sam and smiled brightly. "So, can I put you in charge of the bipartisan breakfast?"

Even Toby laughed.

* * *

Ainsley loved her new office. There were windows. Windows meant sunshine and fresh air. The one thing she didn't miss about the White House was the steam pipe trunk distribution venue.

There was a knock at the door and Nate entered. "Hey."

She grinned. "Hey."

Nate flopped into a chair and sighed. "Susan Cavanaugh wants me to got to some function with her on Saturday."

"Susan Cavanaugh. The name sounds familiar." Ainsley offered Nate a cookie, taking one for herself when he declined.

"I handled her divorce."

"Ah." Ainsley took another cookie. "So this thing on Saturday, is it a date?"

"I hope not. It's still too soon. Holly's only been gone a year."

The cousins were silent for a moment. Holly's death had devastated Nate; Ainsley wasn't sure he'd ever get over her. Trying to lighten the atmosphere, she said, "So, you need a babysitter, huh?"

"Yeah. I'll see if Rosa can stay later."

"No need. Your poor housekeeper's overworked as it is." Ainsley reached for another cookie; disappointed to discover they were finished. "Sam and I will do it."

Nate smiled. "You're testing him."

"What?"

"You're testing him. You want to see what he's like around kids."

Ainsley shook her head in denial. Nate just laughed.

"Ains, how serious are you about Sam?"

"Pretty serious, I think. Why?"

Nate leaned forward, lowering his voice as if about to impart a state secret. "'Cause you guys have been outed."

"What? What do you mean?"

Nate stood, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Jamie's got a copy of _Scoop_ on her desk. I flipped through it while I was waiting for the coffee machine. The two of you photograph well."

"What?" Ainsley jumped up and marched through to the reception area. Sure enough, _Scoop_ was lying on the desk. Ainsley picked it up, flicking the pages until she found the article. "Crap. I have to call my parents."

Nate chuckled. "Good luck."

* * *

It didn't take long for Jamie Byers to discover her employers were crazy. Jamie was working as a part-time receptionist/personal assistant/general dogsbody to help pay her way through college. She'd thought, since Ainsley had once worked at the White House, that this would be a learning experience. And Nate was cute, kind of, in an older guy way.

Jamie's friends at law school were jealous. Her study partner, Shelley, told her in an awed voice that "Ainsley Hayes is, like, my role model." Her boyfriend, Clem, hinted none-too-subtly that he wouldn't mind a tour of the White House.

Jamie thought about telling them Ainsley and Nate were insane, but didn't. She liked her job, though she hoped all lawyers didn't end up this eccentric. They'd stolen her copy of _Scoop_, for crying out loud. And she hadn't even had a chance to read it yet.

Of course, other things pointed to their insanity too. Ainsley didn't stop eating. Ever. And she managed to do it without gaining a single ounce. If she wasn't so nice, Jamie thought she might just hate her. Nate rearranged his office every week. He was addicted to coffee and Ainsley was addicted to Fresca. Some of the clients were a little odd as well; take that Susan Cavanaugh woman, Jamie thought. She called for Nate every day; now Nate had instructed Jamie to tell Susan that he was out, even when he wasn't.

Jamie got up to make herself a cup of coffee. When she turned to go back to her desk, there was a man there. She put the coffee down and told herself to act professional. This was a potential client and it wasn't Jamie's job to scare the clients away – Ainsley and Nate were more than capable of doing that themselves.

When the man turned to face her, all thoughts of professionalism went out the window. "Hi," he said, smiling. "I'm looking for Ainsley."

"Uh, sure. One second." Jamie knocked on Ainsley's door. "Sam Seaborn's here to see you."

A smile lit Ainsley's face. "Sam?"

"Sam Seaborn, yeah. _The_ Sam Seaborn. Shelley's never going to believe me." Jamie shut up; she saw no need to make an idiot of herself in front of Ainsley. "Should I send him through?"

"Yes."

Jamie returned to Sam, proud that she managed to do it without tripping and embarrassing herself. "You can go on in."

"Thanks." Sam smiled again, and Jamie's heart fluttered. Yeah, she thought, he was definitely better looking in person.

Without even realizing it, she trailed after him. Her eyes widened as she witnessed Ainsley fling her arms around Sam's neck and kiss him. When Sam returned the kiss, Jamie morosely went back to her desk.

Yeah, she thought. It was official. She hated Ainsley.

* * *

The bar was filled with professionals stopping for a drink on the way home from work. The White House senior staff occupied a booth in the corner furthest from the door. Ainsley spotted them as soon as she entered; CJ was standing, gesticulating wildly as she explained something to the rest.

Sam grinned when Ainsley arrived at the table. He moved up, making space for her next to him. When she sat, he put his arm around her and kissed her. "Hi."

"Hi."

CJ, more than a little tipsy, wagged her finger at Sam. "Even though Ainsley's Republican, she's part of the sisterhood. If you hurt her, I'll break your kneecaps."

Sam's eyes widened. Ainsley picked up Sam's drink and raised it. "Thanks, CJ. To the sisterhood."

"To the sisterhood." CJ grabbed the nearest drink, which happened to be Toby's, and took a sip.

Countless drinks later, Ainsley and Sam stumbled out of the bar to hail a cab. Sam, concentrating too much on the feel of Ainsley's hand in his, couldn't remember his address. Ainsley giggled and directed the cabbie to her apartment.

As she fumbled to unlock the door, Sam remarked that coffee might be a good idea.

"'Kay," Ainsley said. "Need to get out of these shoes first."

"Are you going to put your bathrobe on?"

She gave him a strange look. "Why?"

"'Cause isn't that what you do when you're drunk?"

"I'm not drunk." Ainsley headed for the bedroom, Sam following a few feet behind her.

Sam flopped face down on the bed. "Mm-kay. I'm drunk."

"Yeah."

"Not as drunk as Josh, though. He's got a, uh, a sensitive system. Donna's going to kill him."

Ainsley sat on the edge of the bed, her shoes forgotten. "Do you think there's something going on with them? 'Cause the way they act . . . Hey, Sam, you awake?"

She shook his shoulder but got no response. Deciding that he looked cute when he was asleep, she curled up next to him and closed her eyes. Snuggling against him, Ainsley's last conscious thought was that he made quite a comfortable pillow.

* * *

Saturday night found Sam and Ainsley watching _The Lion King_ with two energetic children. As the older child, Simone insisted that they watch her choice of movie. Although Nicole whispered to Sam that they'd seen it "like a gazillion times", she didn't complain.

The girls had their father's interesting blue-green eyes. Their blonde curls, Ainsley said, were inherited from their mother. Sam had the fleeting thought that his children had a fair chance of ending up with blonde hair and blue eyes. Then he realized the implications of that thought, hid his grin, and forced himself to focus on the movie.

Afterwards, Ainsley went into the kitchen to make hot chocolate. When she returned to the living room, Nicole was perched on Sam's lap, regaling him with a story. Simone jumped off the couch to help Ainsley, carefully carrying Sam's mug and managing not to spill.

You're going to be great with our kids, Ainsley thought.

Sam looked at her and smiled. "You want to have kids with me?"

Ainsley's eyes widened. "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did."

"Oh."

Sam set Nicole next to him and stood. "So?"

"Okay."

"Okay?"

Ainsley smiled. Simone, not quite understand the subtext, put the mug on the coffee table and put her hands on her hips.

"The hot chocolate's gonna get cold."

Sam took Ainsley's hand and pulled her towards him. Completely forgetting about the girls, he kissed her. A chorus of, "Eeuw, gross!" brought them back to reality and they broke apart, laughing.

TBC


	3. three

A/N: Sorry about the delay in updating. Real life's kept me pretty busy. I'll try to have the next chapter out soon. Thanks for the feedback so far, I'm glad you're enjoying it.

* * *

"Excuse me, is Ainsley in?"

Jamie looked up from the latest edition of _Scoop_ – there was an interesting article claiming Mary Marsh had been cloned from alien DNA – and opened her mouth to ask the standard, "Do you have an appointment?"

What came out instead was, "You're Donna Moss."

Donna smiled. "Yes. Uh, have we met?"

Jamie shook her head, her auburn curls bouncing with the movement. "No, but I know you. I mean, I know who you are. You're one of the Hill's most beautiful people. You know, according to that one magazine."

Donna's cheeks reddened. "Um . . . So, Ainsley?"

"Oh, yes. She's in her office." As Jamie gestured to the door, it opened, and Ainsley came out balancing a pile of folders in her arms.

Ainsley grinned, even as the top folder slipped and fell to the floor, quickly followed by the rest. "Donna! What are you doing here? Did you slip away while Josh wasn't looking?"

Donna laughed and bent to help Ainsley pick up the folders. "I had to fetch something on the Hill."

Jamie knelt to help as well and couldn't help but listen to the conversation.

"So, I hear Sam's meeting your parents this weekend," Donna continued.

"Yeah, he's terrified." Ainsley chuckled. "I think it's kind of sweet."

"Do you think you guys would still be dating if you hadn't left the White House?"

Ainsley stood, depositing the files on Jamie's desk. "I'd like to think so. Let's face it, it was just a matter of time before something happened."

Donna nodded, though her smile was a little sad.

"Why? You thinking of leaving?"

"I don't know. No. I love my job."

Ainsley held her hands out, palms up as if she was weighing something. "Your job, your boss. Same thing in the end."

"Ainsley!"

She smiled. "You know, Donna, we only get one chance at this life. You should do what makes you happy."

"I . . ."

"I thought it would be hard to date a Democrat and, sure, it's not all smooth sailing, but it's worth it. I wouldn't give up Sam for anything in the whole world. Not my family, not the White House, nothing."

Jamie gaped at Ainsley. "That's, like, the most beautiful thing I've ever heard."

Ainsley and Donna looked at her, as if suddenly realizing she was there and the inappropriateness of their conversation. Jamie held up her hands.

"My lips are sealed. Just, for the record, half of D.C. thinks you and Mr. Lyman are doing it anyway." She picked up _Scoop_ and opened it to the back page, revealing the results of the previous week's poll.

"'Which of Bartlet's Boys are most likely sleeping with their assistants?'" Donna read, horrified. "Leo McGarry, 3, Toby Ziegler, 7, Sam Seaborn, 6, CJ Cregg, 13, Josh Lyman, 71. Seventy-one percent?" The words came out as a strangled half-meow. "We're not – We've never—"

"Sam Seaborn?" Ainsley stared at the poll, a frown creasing her features. "Sam is not having an affair with Bonnie! He's not even having an affair with me."

"Really?" Donna asked. "You and Sam haven't--?"

"Really. We're taking things slowly." She let the magazine fall to the desk. "I can't believe you read this, Jamie."

Jamie didn't bother to hide her amusement. "You know, I noticed neither of you had anything to say about CJ Cregg being referred to as one of 'Bartlet's Boys'."

Ainsley and Donna looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

* * *

"You're a Democrat." William Hayes studied Sam for a long moment, then turned to his daughter. "Ainsley, my dear child, he's a Democrat." 

"Yes, Daddy. But you knew that before." Ainsley hid the smile tugging at her lips, though she couldn't help but take a small pleasure in Sam's look of terror.

And he hadn't even met her brothers yet.

When she'd mentioned that her parents wanted to meet him, he'd worn this same look of panic. But he'd still accompanied her home to North Carolina for the weekend. Ainsley decided this had to be love; not many men could hold their ground under William Hayes' glare.

"Well, he is good-looking," Evelyn said. "You've always had good taste."

Ainsley rolled her eyes. Taking pity on Sam, she slipped her hand in his. "He's not a piece of meat, Mom. Anyway, Nate likes him."

William's eyebrows shot up. "Is that so?"

"So do the girls," Ainsley added. "Nicole, especially."

William gave an exaggerated sigh then extended his hand for Sam to shake. "Well, I suppose you can't be that bad if my little girl likes you so much."

Evelyn smiled and hooked her arm through Sam's as they headed into the house. Ainsley hung back, amused at the look on her mother's face. She knew her well enough to know that Evelyn Hayes was already planning grandchildren.

"So you really like this boy?" William asked.

"Yes, Daddy, I do."

"Do you love him?"

Ainsley nodded.

William smiled sadly and opened his arms. Ainsley hugged her father. "I'm going to lose you to him, aren't I?"

"Oh, Daddy, you'll never lose me."

"You know what I mean." William kissed her forehead the way he'd done countless times when she was a child. "Just know that if he ever breaks your heart, I'll kill him."

She laughed. "I still love you, you know."

* * *

Sam hadn't expected Ainsley's brothers to be so tall. William, Jr. and Robert were identical twins, a year older than Ainsley and as dark as she was fair. They sat opposite him at the dinner table, their expressions gradually changing from hostile to curious. Sam bravely held their gaze, refusing to be intimidated. After all, he did work for the President of the United States and counted 'Bartlet's Pitbull' as his best friend. 

But these were Ainsley's brothers.

Sam sipped his drink, the bourbon a welcome relief to his suddenly dry mouth.

"So you're Sam," Billy said.

"Yes."

"And you're Ainsley's boyfriend," Robert said, his tone slightly cooler than Billy's.

Sam nodded.

The twins stared at him for a moment. Billy smiled. "Okay."

"But," Robert added, his expression serious. "I have a gun. So don't hurt her."

Sam choked on his drink and missed the look of amusement the twins shared. Just then Ainsley and Evelyn entered. Ainsley sat next to Sam and placed her hand on his thigh, giving him a reassuring smile. He made a mental note to ask her later if her brother really carried a gun.

William sat at the head of the table and the Hayes family bowed their heads. Sam, unused to sit-down dinners, copied. While William said grace, Sam couldn't help but silently echo the sentiment. He was blessed to be here with Ainsley, and he was thrilled to be sharing this part of her life, even if Robert still scared him a little.

"Amen," William said, and everyone looked up.

"Sam, honey, don't you want more?" Evelyn eyed his plate and added another spoonful of vegetables before Sam could protest. "Don't be shy."

"Um, thank you, ma'am."

"Call me Evelyn." She winked, then smiled slyly at her daughter. "'Ma'am' just sounds so old. Makes me feel like I should be a grandmother."

Sam felt his cheeks turn red. Next to him, Ainsley choked on her mouthful of food. Billy just laughed.

"Don't go giving him ideas now, Mom."

But, Sam thought as the meal resumed, he'd give just about anything for his children to call Evelyn 'Grandma'.

* * *

"I'm really not having an affair with Bonnie." Sam put his arm around Ainsley as they rocked gently on the porch swing. 

"I know."

"And CJ's really not a man."

Ainsley laughed. "I know."

"Of course, when she's through with the guy who came up with the poll, he probably won't be a man either."

Ainsley shifted closer to Sam, putting her legs over his lap and leaning her head on his shoulder. She ran her hand down his chest and smiled appreciatively. "You, on the other hand, are very much a man."

He groaned. "You're evil."

"Sam," she drawled, "that's not a very nice thing to say to a girl."

He grabbed her wrist to still her hand's journey. "I am not making out with you on your parent's porch."

"Kiss me, Sam."

"You want me to die, don't you?" His lips brushed hers. "'Cause Robert's going to shoot me, if your dad doesn't do it first."

Ainsley slid off the swing. "Probably. And I'd like you in my life for a while still. So in the best interests of your health and my happiness, I'm going to bed. Good night, Sam."

As she opened the door, he muttered, "Evil."

A few minutes later, he decided there was no point in staying up now that Ainsley was asleep and returned inside. On his way to the guest bedroom, he passed William's study and was surprised to find the man still awake.

He knocked, though the door was open. "Good night, sir."

William looked up and smiled. "Have a seat, son."

Slightly apprehensive, Sam did as he was asked.

"I'm glad we've got a chance to talk."

Sam nodded.

"Do you love her?"

Sam didn't hesitate. "More than anything."

"More than your job? More than the presidency?"

"Yes."

William regarded Sam for a long moment. "Evelyn's parents didn't approve of me. My brother had a bad reputation and they thought I was just like him. Winning her heart wasn't easy. I can't even begin to imagine what it's like in D.C. A Republican and a Democrat. And not just any Republican and any Democrat. The voice of the Bartlet administration and the one of the Republican's brightest young lawyers/"

Sam shook his head. "There's more to us than that. When I'm with Ainsley, politics is the last thing on my mind. I don't care what her affiliation is or how prominent she is. She gives me a reason to leave the office at the end of each day. I could live without politics, I can't live without her."

William gave a pleased smile.

Sam wasn't done yet. He stood and took a step towards William. "At some point, I intend to ask your daughter to marry me, and I would like your blessing to do so."

William extended his arm and the two men shook hands. "Welcome to the family, son."

TBC


	4. four

A/N: Sorry it's short, but I figured if I kept the chapters shorter, I could post more frequently.

* * *

Jamie wasn't entirely sure what she was doing at the mall with Sam Seaborn and Donna Moss. These were people who worked in the White House. She was just a student and part-time receptionist/assistant/whatever. And she was shopping. With Sam Seaborn and Donna Moss. Shopping.

She was okay with Donna, though. Donna was smart and funny and surprisingly nice. Sam, on the other hand . . . Sure, he was sweet (not to mention drop-dead gorgeous, Jamie thought wistfully) but he was still the Deputy Chief of Communications. He spoke to the President every day. Jamie couldn't quite get past that.

She realized he was speaking to her and forced herself to pay attention. "Sorry, what was that?"

"What do you think of this one?"

Jamie's jaw dropped.

"Donna?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, it's a little flashy." Donna wrinkled her nose and pointed to another display. "This one's nice."

"It's $15,000." Jamie blinked, wondering if she'd imagined the price.

Donna sighed. "Makes you want to cry, doesn't it?"

"I don't know anyone who'd spend that much money on me." All shyness forgotten, Jamie turned to Sam. "You don't have a younger brother, do you? Or a clone?"

Donna laughed. "A clone of Sam? I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

"Hey!" Sam protested.

Donna leaned towards Jamie. "You know, he and Josh almost set the White House on fire once. Can you just imagine if there'd been another Sam? They might just have succeeded."

"That was Josh's idea." Sam turned his attention back to the shop assistant. "Maybe you can help me. I'm looking for something elegant, but not flashy."

The assistant – Tiffany, according to her nameplate – smiled. "Of course. Perhaps you'd like to see our selection of white gold?" She directed the trio to another display cabinet.

"So I take it the whole meeting-her-parents thing went well?" Donna asked.

"I think so. I'm still alive, which is always a good thing."

"I'm sorry," Jamie said. "I have to ask. Are you guys always like this?"

Sam and Donna looked at each other. "Like what?" Sam asked.

"Normal. I mean, I have this picture in my head of what it's like to work, you know, in the White House and everything, and you guys are – Please don't take this the wrong way, but you guys are as crazy as Nate and Ainsley."

Donna laughed. "Oh, you have no idea."

Sam grabbed Donna's arm and pointed. "That's it. That's the one."

"It's beautiful," Jamie said. 'It' was a thin band of white gold set with three tiny diamonds.

"Ainsley's going to love it." Donna smiled. "You'd better not mess this up, Sam."

Sam pulled Ainsley's class ring from his pocket and handed it to Tiffany. "I'm going to need it this size."

Tiffany smiled. "Of course."

* * *

"I want to meet your family," Ainsley said, leaning against Sam's kitchen counter. "Mmm, that smells great. What is it? Pineapple?"

"My family?"

Ainsley picked up a fork and stole a piece of pineapple from the stir-fry Sam was currently making. "Mm-hmm. I love pineapple."

"Ains, my family's not like yours. My parents are divorced. I have a half-sister I just found out about—"

Ainsley nabbed another pineapple piece. "Sam, they're part of who you are. I want to know everything about you."

Sam caught her wrist as she tried her luck a third time. "That sounds dangerously stalker-like, Miss Hayes."

"Potato, potahto. It's only fair. You met my family." She smiled. "Unless you're embarrassed to let them meet me . . ."

"What? No. That's ridiculous." He sighed and pulled her closer. "Okay. You win."

"Good." Ainsley crossed to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of Fresca. "Oh, your mother's in Martha's Vineyard this weekend. She said she's free to go sailing on Saturday."

"You spoke to my mother?"

Ainsley shrugged innocently. "She called earlier when you were in the shower. It was her idea."

"Yes, but—"

"I've never been sailing."

"Today's Thursday."

Ainsley smiled. "The stir-fry's burning."

Sam turned the stove-plate down. "I'm going to get you back for this."

"I look forward to it." She winked and hopped onto the counter. "Now get over here and feed me."

"Remind me why I put up with you?"

"'Cause you love me."

Sam wiped his hands on a dishtowel and cleared his throat. "Yeah. About that . . . Would you wear something for me tonight?"

"The black dress, right?" Ainsley's accent was more noticeable when she teased him. "I know you've been dying to see me in it."

"Uh, actually, I want you to wear this." He pulled a small box from his pocket and held it out.

For once, Ainsley had nothing to say.

"I know it's only been a couple of months, but when you know, you know. Ainsley, I don't ever want to be with anyone else. I love you and I want to marry you."

Ainsley grinned. "Get over here and kiss me, Sam Seaborn."

TBC


	5. five

_A/N: So that whole "shorter chapters, more frequent updates" thing turned out to be a big fat lie. Sorry about that. There will probably only be two more chapters after this, unless of course, my muse decides she wants more._

* * *

"Ainsley, you're hurting me."

Ainsley loosened her grip on Sam's hand and forced herself to smile as she boarded Sam's yacht. Determined to make a good impression, she'd woken Donna with an early morning phone call asking for advice on what to wear. Donna, her voice still thick with sleep, had mumbled something about lightweight clothes that wouldn't pull her to the bottom of the sea. Ainsley hadn't seen the humor.

"So this is Ainsley." Elizabeth Seaborn casually glanced up and down then gave her a hug. "My Samuel does know how to pick a pretty girl."

Ainsley smiled, not quite sure how to take that. Elizabeth kissed her son's cheek, then linked her arm through his.

"She's lovely, Sam." Elizabeth looked back at Ainsley just as the light caught one of the diamonds in her ring. She immediately let go of Sam and took Ainsley's hand. "Oh, my."

"I was just getting to that," Sam said.

"Indeed."

"Mrs. Seaborn—"

"Oh, call me Elizabeth." She twisted Ainsley's hand to get a better look at the ring. "So, tell me how he proposed. Was it romantic?"

Ainsley and Sam exchanged glances. "Well, we were in the kitchen—"

"The kitchen!" Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ainsley. I don't know how my son ended up being so clueless."

"Oh no, it was perfect."

Sam laughed. "You've got to understand how Ainsley feels about food, Mom."

"I have a healthy appetite."

"Sure, if you were an army."

"You know what the real problem with this country is? It's that women are encouraged to do whatever it takes to look like the latest supermodel, including starving themselves. And when a woman comes along who likes food, people think there's something wrong with her." Ainsley was gearing up for a full-on debate.

"Ains—"

"I agree with you," Elizabeth said. "Sam, you should be grateful you have a fiancée who doesn't have hang-ups about food."

Sam groaned, while Ainsley managed to hide a slightly triumphant smile.

"Now, Ainsley," Elizabeth continued, "I want to know all about you. Sam doesn't need our help sailing this boat."

"It's a yacht, not a boat!"

Elizabeth waved a hand. "Potato, potahto."

Laughing, Ainsley followed her future mother-in-law into the galley.

* * *

"I hate the sun," Ainsley said. "And it hates me. We have a hate-hate relationship. Ow!"

"Sorry." Sam didn't sound the least bit apologetic as he poured more lotion on Ainsley's back. "I thought you put sunscreen on."

"I did. But the sun hates me. And I have alabaster skin."

Sam laughed. "Now I know you've been spending too much time with Donna."

"You're enjoying my pain, aren't you?"

"No."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying. You turning into a lobster precludes any chance I may have had of getting lucky tonight."

"Pig." Ainsley sat up and hit Sam with a pillow.

"Although, apparently, it doesn't stop you from flashing me."

She covered her chest with her arms and slid off the bed.

"Hey, wait. Come back. I'll be nice, I promise."

Ainsley scowled.

"I'm sorry."

She sat down on the edge of the bed. Sam inched closer to her and slipped his arm around her waist. Then he kissed her shoulder blade. She closed her eyes.

"Tell me if I'm hurting you."

"You're not."

"So am I forgiven?"

"If you keep that up, yeah." She drew the last word out. It was hard to think with Sam's mouth on her skin. Sunburn, she thought. What sunburn?

* * *

Sam had been smiling so much that his cheeks hurt. What was supposed to have been a small engagement party had turned out to include most of the staff of the West Wing. In hindsight, he should have known better than to leave the arrangements in the hands of Donna and Jamie.

Then he looked across the room and saw Ainsley deep in conversation with Nate, and his irritation faded. As long as she was happy, nothing else mattered.

She was going to be his wife. As he watched her, he wondered what he'd done right to deserve her. She looked up then, met his gaze, and smiled. Sam took a step in her direction, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Mr. President. Zoey."

Zoey grinned at Sam, her arm hooked through her father's. "I think this is so romantic. Kind of like Romeo and Juliet, but without the whole death-thing."

"Hey, Sam, I—" Jamie froze, her eyes fixed on the two Bartlets. "Oh my word. You're – Oh. Wow."

Sam chuckled. "Mr. President, this is Jamie Byers. She works for Ainsley."

Bartlet shook her hand. "Miss Byers."

Jamie was still speechless.

Zoey laughed. "I'm Zoey. Come on, let's get something to drink."

She took Jamie's elbow and steered her across the room. Every few steps, Jamie looked back over her shoulder, and mouth, "Oh, wow."

Sam turned his attention to Bartlet.

"Abbey says she's sorry she couldn't make it. She didn't want to give everyone the flu."

"Excuse me," Ginger broke into the conversation. "Sam, you have a phone call."

"Take a message."

"It's your father."

Sam nodded. "Excuse me, sir."

He took the phone from Ginger and walked outside. Uncertainly raising the phone to his ear, he said, "Hello."

"Hello, Sam."

Even now, months after learning of his father's betrayal, the pain was still fresh. "What do you want, Dad?"

"I heard about your engagement. Congratulations, Sam."

Sam said nothing.

"You could have called to tell me."

Ignoring the hurt in his father's voice, Sam said, "I wasn't sure you'd care."

"Of course I care! I'm your father."

Sam took a deep breath. "I really don't want to do this now."

"Sam—"

"Bye, Dad."

He pressed 'disconnect' and leaned against a pillar. The evening had been going so well until now. Leave it to his father to mess things up . . .

A soft voice broke into his thoughts. "Hey, I was wondering where you'd got to."

He pulled Ainsley towards him. "Hey."

"Ginger said your dad called."

"Yeah."

Ainsley wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. "Have you changed your mind about inviting him to the wedding?"

"No."

"Sam, he's your father—"

"No, Ainsley."

"Okay." She pulled her head back, tilting her neck to look up at him. "Have I told you much about my cousin, Calleigh? Nate's sister?"

He shook his head.

"Her father treated her – all the kids actually – he treated them horribly. But Cal was always blind to his faults. Even now, there's nothing she wouldn't do for him."

"Ainsley, where's this going"

"Your father may have hurt you, Sam, but he's trying to reach out now. Give him another chance."

He closed his eyes and exhaled softly. "My mother will be at the wedding. If he's there, it'll hurt her."

"Your mom's bringing her boyfriend, Sam. She knows she has to move on—"

His eyes flew open. "My mother has a boyfriend"

Ainsley nodded.

"Just what did you two talk about on Saturday?"

"Life, love, everything else." Ainsley kissed him. "Invite him, Sam. One day you'll wish you had."

"Ains—"

"I'm going back inside before all the food's finished." She flashed another smile and left him.

Sam looked at the phone that was still in his hand. Slowly, he dialed the once-familiar number and raised the phone to his ear.

"Hi, Dad?"


	6. six

_A/N: Thanks for the feedback. You guys are awesome. And as a reward, here's a nice long chapter :o)_

* * *

_Two months later_

Jamie opened the latest copy of _Scoop_ and leaned back in her chair. Page three carried another article about Josh Lyman's supposed affair with his assistant, which Jamie knew was untrue. Of course, she had witnessed the subtext that Sam and Ainsley continuously spoke about, but she liked Donna too much to say anything. Even to her best friend, Shelley.

This issue's poll related to the upcoming wedding and whether or not the marriage would survive. Jamie's brow furrowed, she rolled the magazine up and dropped it into the bin. She knew for a fact that the marriage was not a political move. What did the writers know anyway, she thought. It was time to stop buying _Scoop_.

"Hi, Jamie."

She looked up and smiled at Nate and Ainsley. Then, realizing that Ainsley was supposed to be in her office, her smile faltered.

"Is my cousin here?" Nate asked.

Jamie blinked, and stared at the woman who was apparently not Ainsley.

"I'm Calleigh," the woman said. "Nate's sister."

"Hi." Jamie held out a handful of paper slips. "Your messages, Nate."

"Thanks." He laughed as he took them from her, then nudged Calleigh with his elbow. "You'd better get used to this reaction, Cal."

Calleigh rolled her eyes. "As if it's never happened before."

Ainsley's office door opened and she stepped out.

"Calleigh!"

Jamie looked from Calleigh to Ainsley, then back to Calleigh. She blinked again and shook her head. Then she started laughing.

"Hey, Jamie's finally cracked up," Nate said.

"I feel like I'm on an episode of Ally McBeal." Jamie picked up her jacket. "I'm going to take my break now, okay?"

* * *

"So, I can't believe your slave driver boss let you have time off for the wedding," Ainsley said at dinner that night.

"He understands how important family is." Calleigh passed the salad to Ainsley, then added, "And he's not a slave driver."

"Ainsley says you're a criminologist," Sam said. "What exactly do you do?"

"I'm not sure this is dinner table conversation." Ainsley dished up another helping of pasta.

Calleigh shrugged. "I process the evidence at crime scenes."

"She's the best ballistics expert on the East Coast," Nate said proudly.

"Really?" Sam sounded impressed. He leaned forward. "I guess you see a lot of dead bodies."

"Sam!" Ainsley shook her head.

"Yeah, I do." Calleigh ignored her cousin's outburst.

"And it never freaks you out?" Sam couldn't hide the touch of awe in his voice.

"You learn to deal with it."

Nate, seeing the look on Ainsley's face, stepped in, "I thought you'd bring Horatio as your date. I was hoping to meet him."

Calleigh's cheeks reddened. "He's my boss, Nate. We're friends. That's it. Besides, I'm here as your date."

"I don't count. I'm your brother."

Sam wasn't done with the previous conversation. "Calleigh, do you carry a gun?"

Ainsley groaned.

"I do." Calleigh smiled. "Of course, I didn't bring it with me."

"And your thoughts on gun control?"

"Oh no," Ainsley said, shaking her head. "We are not having this conversation now. Sam—"

He gave her an innocent look. "I just—"

"Samuel."

"Actually, I'm pretty tired from my flight. Nate?" Calleigh turned to her brother.

"Yeah. And I'm sure the babysitter needs rescuing right about now. You know what a handful the girls can be."

* * *

Ainsley sat cross-legged on the kitchen counter. Though it was the middle of the afternoon, she was eating a bowl of cereal.

"I'm sorry your dad can't make the wedding."

Sam shrugged. "I shouldn't have invited him. I knew he would find a reason not to come."

"Well, you're the better person." She put the cereal bowl down and held out her arms. "Come here."

Sam accepted her hug. "I just don't want to end up like him, you know?"

"Sam, you're the most honest person I know. And for a lawyer and a Democrat, that's saying a lot."

Sam laughed.

"Besides," Ainsley continued, "your mom will be there."

"With Ricardo."

"He's a nice guy."

"He's my age!"

"But he makes her happy."

Sam pulled back and studied his bride-to-be. He smiled. "I love you so much."

Ainsley raised an eyebrow. "Really? Maybe you should show me."

* * *

"I can't believe you're actually getting married." Calleigh helped Ainsley zip her dress then stepped back to admire her cousin, a wistful smile on her face. Ainsley's dress was simple in design: made of ivory-colored satin, it fell to mid-calf, and thin straps criss-crossed the back. Ainsley's hair was rolled into a French twist, with a few curls left free to frame her face.

Ainsley gave a nervous half-giggle. "Neither can I."

"I'm tempted to knock you out and marry Sam in your place. Do you think he'd know the difference?"

"He'd figure it out eventually. At the reception probably. When he sees how little you eat."

Calleigh nodded solemnly. "You're right. Probably not a good idea."

"Besides," Ainsley continued, "I've never seen your Horatio. How would I know who's getting the better end of the deal?"

"He's not my Horatio!"

"Cal, you talk about him all the time."

Calleigh shrugged. "It's a crush, that's all. And I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay."

Calleigh picked an imaginary piece of fluff from her own dress, a pale shade of peach, similar in style to Ainsley's dress, only longer. She turned to the mirror and pretended to fix her hair.

Ainsley had known her cousin for too long to be put off. She stepped behind Calleigh and took the brush from her. "Can I be your bridesmaid?"

"Ainsley Hayes!"

"Not for long." Ainsley gave an exaggerated sigh of contentment. "Mrs. Seaborn."

Choking back her laughter, Calleigh said, "Not another word about Horatio. Just remember, I know how to hide bodies."

There was a knock at the door and Evelyn Hayes opened it. She took one look at the two of them and shook her head. "I knew it was a bad idea to leave you girls alone. Come now, we're going to be late."

* * *

"It was a beautiful ceremony," Jamie said to Donna. The two of them were sitting at their table, studying all the guests at the reception and commenting on what the women were wearing.

Donna sighed, her gaze straying in Josh's direction. "Yes, it was."

"Though it was pretty funny when Simone announced that the kiss was gross."

"She's a kid." Donna was still watching Josh. "You know what kids are like."

"I can't believe the President's here. That's, like, the most awesome thing ever. Oh, hey, there's Zoey Bartlet. I'm going to say hi, okay?" Jamie stood and went in the direction of the First Daughter.

Donna stopped looking at Josh long enough to smile at Jamie. When she looked back at her boss, she saw him walking towards her.

"Donnatella!"

"Uh-uh. No way, Josh. I am not working today."

He frowned, genuinely confused. "I know. I was just, well, you know, it is a wedding. People are dancing. Having a good time. And I saw you just sitting here and—"

"You felt sorry for me."

"No. I thought I'd better get over here and ask you to dance before someone else did."

Donna gaped at him, speechless.

"So, will you dance with me?"

Donna smiled and accepted his outstretched hand.

On the dance floor, Calleigh and Nate were dancing together, Calleigh staring in awe at the people around her.

"This is unreal," she said. "I'm in the same room as the President of the United States. Pinch me."

When Nate did, she swatted his arm. "Ouch."

"You asked me to."

"I'd forgotten how hard you pinch."

Nate smiled, his eyes searching the room for his daughters. Simone and Nicole, wearing dresses made from the same material as Calleigh's, had been Ainsley's flower girls. All they needed, Nate thought, were wings, and they'd look like fairies.

They were drawn, oddly, to Toby. Simone stood in front of him, her hands on her hips.

"Daddy says smoking's bad for you."

Toby studied the child. "It's a cigar, not a cigarette."

Simone shrugged. "Aunt Ainsley says the lesser of two evils is still evil."

"You're related to Ainsley?"

She nodded. Nicole, the shyer of the sisters, stepped out from behind her sister and peered up at Toby. Then she grinned. Toby wasn't entirely sure what to do next, when there was a voice from behind him.

"Looks like you've made some friends."

"Mr. President." Toby stood.

Jed Bartlet sat next to Toby. "Hello, girls."

They stared at him, wide-eyed, then, at the same time, turned and ran onto the dance floor, yelling, "Daddy!"

Bartlet chuckled. "Well, that's never happened before."

Toby wisely refrained from commenting. Bartlet watched the two girls reach their father.

"That's Ainsley's cousin, right?"

Toby puffed on his cigar. "I believe so."

"It's disconcerting how similar they look. Do you think their personalities are anything alike?"

"Two Ainsleys running around America? Heaven help us."

Bartlet spotted Sam on the dance floor and stood. "Excuse me."

Sam released his wife to her brother. He turned and came face to face with the President.

"Congratulations, Sam."

"Thank you, sir."

Bartlet glanced at Ainsley, then stepped closer to Sam. He lowered his voice. "You know, she'll make a fine First Lady."

"Sir?"

Bartlet smiled. "Think about it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe my wife is flirting with the bride's father."

Sam barely had time to process what Bartlet had said, when Calleigh hooked her arm through his. "You know," she said with a smile, "we never had that conversation about gun control."

"How do I know you're not Ainsley in disguise, trying to confuse me?"

"Aw, shucks, you caught us. Turns out you really married Calleigh."

Sam's smile faltered for the briefest of seconds, and Calleigh started laughing.

Sam shook his head. "You two must have driven your family crazy."

Calleigh shrugged and released Sam's arm. "I like you, Sam. But don't hurt my cousin."

"I won't."

"Good." Calleigh grinned. "Because they'd never find your body."

She winked, then returned to Nate's side. Sam smiled, and wondered if it was too soon to steal his wife away. Elizabeth Seaborn came up behind him and touched his shoulder.

"You having a good time?"

He turned to her. "Best day of my life so far."

Elizabeth kissed his cheek. "Good."

"Where's, uh, Whatsisname?"

"Ricardo. He was called back to work. He's a doctor, you know."

"Really." Sam took his mother's hand. "Are you happy, Mom?"

She nodded.

"Well, in that case, would you like to dance?"


	7. seven

_A/N: So you remember about 2 chapters ago, I said there would only be 2 chapters left? Well, I lied. Seems my muse has bigger plans for this story.  
__Some Josh/Donna, for those who asked so nicely._

* * *

_1 ½ months later_

"So."

Sam looked up from his desk to see Josh lingering in his doorway. He took off his glasses and smiled. "So?"

Josh entered the office, shut the door behind him, and sat down. "How's married life treating you?"

Sam's smile widened. "It's great."

"You're happy, then?"

"More than I ever thought possible. Ainsley is – Well, you know when you're with a person, and until you're with that person you never realized how empty you felt until you met—"

Josh laughed. "You're even starting to sound like her! Promise me one thing, Sam. Don't let her convert you to the Dark Side."

"You know, that's not even funny anymore."

Josh shrugged. "I know."

"So, what's up?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yes, nothing. Can't a guy just come say hi to his friend?"

Sam leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "Maybe if he were the kind of guy who did that type of thing. You, not so much."

Josh looked around as if he were afraid there were eavesdroppers, then sighed. "Okay. I need your help."

"I am not lighting a fire."

"I wasn't – That's not – Sam!"

Seeing Josh's expression, Sam decided to cut him a break. "Okay. What's wrong?"

Josh mumbled something Sam didn't hear.

"What's that?"

"It's Donna."

"She quit?"

"No."

"She has a boyfriend?"

"No!" Something vaguely resembling panicked flitted across Josh's face. ("He looked like a deer caught in the headlights," Sam later told Ainsley.)

"Josh, if you want my help, you need to be a little more specific."

Josh stood. "Forget it. It's nothing."

"Just ask her out."

Josh did his deer-caught-in-the-headlights impression again. "It's not that simple."

"Well, it should be."

"Says the happily married man!"

Sam shrugged. "Either she says yes, or she doesn't. If she doesn't, then move on. If she does . . ."

"I kissed her."

Sam stared at Josh, too shocked to say anything. He was also impressed.

Josh sat down again. "After the wedding. I drove her home and kissed her. And now she acts as if it never happened."

"Do you?"

"Maybe." Josh shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

"So kiss her again."

A smile slowly bloomed on Josh's face. He jumped up and bolted for the door.

"I didn't mean now!" Sam yelled after him. "After work!"

* * *

"And then," Donna told Jamie, "he kissed me. Right in the middle of the bullpen." 

Jamie sighed. "That's so romantic. What did you do?"

"I slapped him."

Ainsley choked on her French fry. "Donna!"

Donna shrugged, and speared an olive with her fork. "Well, he deserved it. He can't kiss me one day, and ignore me the next, and then kiss me in the middle of the West Wing."

Ainsley laughed. "So, who won the pool?"

Donna's cheeks reddened. "CJ."

Jamie leaned her elbow on the table, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "So what did he do after you hit him?"

"He just stood there and looked like he was about to cry."

"So romantic," Jamie sighed again.

"And then I kissed him." Donna popped the olive in her mouth.

"So you're, like, officially together now?"

Donna nodded happily. "He dragged me off to Leo's office and pretty much dared Leo to tell us not to date."

Jamie's eyes grew round. "Leo McGarry?"

"He's a real sweetheart," Ainsley said.

"Wow."

"Anyway, Leo didn't have a problem. We're halfway through the second term."

"You have a right to be happy," Ainsley said.

"Yes, Mrs. Seaborn." Donna offered her unfinished salad to Ainsley.

Ainsley just grinned.


	8. eight

_A/N: A longish chapter, to make up for not posting in months. Only a few more chapters to go; thanks for hanging in there._

_

* * *

_

"I really appreciate the lift," Jamie said. She looked out the car window and then glanced at Ainsley. "I know it's out of your way."

"It's no problem." Ainsley smiled. "I hope your car is fixed soon."

"Me too. Stupid fan belt."

Ainsley chuckled. "How are your classes going?"

"It's school." Jamie scrunched up her face. "It's getting to the point where I just want to be done already. And then I think of how scary the real world is, and I'm glad I'm still studying."

"Oh, the real world's not so bad."

"It's different for you. You're Ainsley Hayes. I mean, Seaborn. I'm just . . . well, me."

Ainsley's chuckle turned into a full laugh. "It's not so different for me."

"Yes, it is. You're smart, and pretty, and brave. I mean, you worked in the White House!"

"Jamie, when I was studying, I was just as scared as you."

"Really?"

"Really. Have you started looking for a job yet?"

Jamie shook her head. "There are still, like, eight months until I graduate."

The traffic light turned green. Ainsley released the brake, and slowly pulled off. A car skipped the red light, barreling right into the passenger side of Ainsley's car. Ainsley's car spun three times before slamming into the traffic light. The other car wrapped itself around a tree.

No one in either vehicle moved.

* * *

Louisa Cartwright had been a nurse at GW Memorial for almost ten years. She had been on duty the night of the Rosslyn shooting, and knew she would never forget the sight of most of President Bartlet's senior staff struggling to keep it together while they waited for news of their boss and their friend. She remembered the slim blonde woman, sitting quietly in the corner of the room, physically there, but mentally far away. She remembered the President's daughter, clinging to her boyfriend's hand. The President's wife, fooling almost everyone into thinking she was coping. The same blonde woman, watching Josh Lyman's surgery.

For the first time, Louisa had seen them as real people, and she liked what she saw. Though they were politicians, they were human, and they were caring, and afraid.

She voted for Bartlet in the next election.

When the victims of the car accident were brought in, Louisa was again on duty. It seemed like an ordinary day - people were always either hurting themselves or each other. Then Sam Seaborn arrived, with Josh Lyman and the slim blonde woman. Louisa frowned slightly as they walked towards her, trying to recall the woman's name. Dana? Dinah?

Josh Lyman was looking well, Louisa thought. She was glad.

"Nurse Cartwright?" The woman glanced at her companions, then at Louisa. "Uh, there were two women brought in here earlier. The car accident-"

"Ah, yes. Friends of yours?" Louisa smiled sympathetically.

"My wife." Sam paled, and grabbed hold of Josh's arm.

"Ainsley Hayes Seaborn," said the woman - Donna, Louisa suddenly remembered.

Louisa turned to the computer and tapped at the keyboard. "Okay, your wife's in exam room three. I'll show you where that is in a second." She typed again. "And Miss Myers is still in surgery."

"In surgery? How bad is it?"

Louisa shrugged. "I'm sorry, I don't know. Mr. Seaborn, you can come with me."

She led Sam to exam room three, leaving Josh and Donna in the waiting room. Ainsley was lying on the gurney, her eyes closed as an intern sutured the gash on her head.

"Ainsley?"

Ainsley's eyes flew open and she tried to sit. "Sam!"

The intern gently pushed her back down. Sam was at her side in an instant. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, Sam!" She burst into tears. The intern finished up the last stitch then left the room. Louisa stayed where she was.

"Ains, I was so scared I'd lost you." Sam took her hands and kissed each one, then kissed her forehead.

"Jamie?"

"She's in surgery." Sam kissed her again. "What happened?"

Ainsley closed her eyes again. "I don't know. The light was green. This car came out of nowhere. I'm sorry, Sam."

"It's not your fault, love."

Louisa felt that she was intruding on a moment she had no right to witness. She quietly slipped out of the room.

* * *

"It's not your fault, love." Sam couldn't take his eyes off Ainsley, as if she might disappear while he wasn't looking. He couldn't bring himself to stop touching her either, gently brushing his hand over hair, her cheek, tracing her lips with his thumb. He dabbed her tears away, and kissed her. "Are you in any pain?"

"I'm fine." Ainsley's mouth twisted as fresh tears welled in her eyes. "Jamie—"

"Jamie's going to be just fine." Sam hoped he sounded more certain than he felt. "She'll be fine."

"The light was green."

"I know."

"I didn't see the other car."

"I know, honey."

Ainsley's closed her eyes. "I wasn't driving that fast. I don't think. I was talking and I didn't see . . . I shouldn't talk so much, maybe I would have seen, maybe there was something I could have done . . ."

Sam couldn't bear seeing Ainsley like this. He held her close to him, gently, as if she would break if he treated her too roughly. She laid her head on his shoulder, hiding her face in his neck.

The door flew open and Nate burst into the room. "Ainsley?"

"She's okay," Sam said as Ainsley nestled closer to him. He lowered his voice. "We're not sure about Jamie yet."

Nate crossed the room to stand next to them. "I was so scared when I got Donna's call. Is there anything I can do for you guys?"

Sam glanced down at Ainsley, then back at Nate. "Could you check on Jamie?"

* * *

Jamie woke to see a very pale Ainsley sitting next to her bed. She gave a weak moan and tried to sit up.

"Jamie?"

"What . . ."

"We had an accident. I'm so sorry."

Jamie vaguely remembered a car slamming into them, but nothing after that. She blinked, realizing this wasn't her bedroom, and noticed the bandage on Ainsley's temple. "But we're okay?"

Sam stepped into Jamie's view and put his hand on Ainsley's shoulder. "The other car hit your side. You'll be fine, but it'll be a while before you can get out of here."

"I don't understand."

"You have a fractured pelvis."

Jamie closed her eyes but couldn't stop tears from escaping.

"I'm so sorry," Ainsley said again.

"School?"

"We'll speak to your lecturers," Sam said. "I'm sure we can work something out. And we'll take care of your medical bills, so you don't have to worry about that either."

Fresh tears threatened to fall. "The other guy?"

"He died. The police say he wasn't wearing his seat belt." Sam paused, then sighed. "He'd been drinking."

"We called your parents," Ainsley said, her voice still slightly shaky. "They're flying in."

"This sucks," Jamie announced.

A nurse entered to change the IV. As the painkillers began taking effect, Jamie felt herself drifting off.

"We'll come by later." Sam kissed her forehead.

* * *

The next time Sam and Ainsley visited Jamie, she was half-sitting in the bed, and more alert than before. Ainsley held up a bag and gave a crooked smile.

"You said you liked to read, so . . ."

"And this is from the Bartlets." Sam held up a gift bag. "They're sorry they couldn't come in person."

"The President got me a gift?" Jamie blinked, staring in wonder at the bag in Sam's hand.

Ainsley chuckled and sat in the visitor's chair. "If you're going to work in the White House one day, you're going to have to get over being so star struck."

Jamie laughed, then frowned and put her hand to her ribs. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts."

Sam gingerly sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you feeling okay? I mean, are you in a lot of pain?"

"You know, I'm on so many painkillers, I feel like I'm flying."

Ainsley took Jamie's hand. "I'm really sorry."

"It wasn't your fault." Jamie looked at Sam. "Please tell your wife I don't blame her."

Sam gave a mock-sigh. "You know how stubborn she can be. It's that whole Rep—"

"Samuel Norman Seaborn! Don't even think it."

"Your middle name is Norman?" Jamie laughed again, holding her hand to her side.

Nurse Cartwright entered to change Jamie's IV. Regretfully, she said, "I'm afraid visiting hours are over."

Sam and Ainsley stood. "I'd better get back to the office. Running the country and all, you know."

His comment earned a smile from Jamie, who replied, "I thought that was Josh's job."

Sam laughed, then led his reluctant wife from the room. "We'll see you tomorrow."


	9. nine

"I am so bored." Jamie closed the magazine she'd been paging through. She smiled at Ainsley and Donna as they entered the hospital room. "As bored as . . . as a very bored thing."

Donna sat on the edge of the bed and took the magazine from Jamie's lap. "I thought you'd stopped reading _Scoop_."

"One of my friends brought it for me. There's a nice picture of Ainsley in it, though."

Donna chuckled. "All pictures of Ainsley are nice."

Ainsley shook her head. "Do I even want to know what the caption was?"

"Probably not." Jamie wrinkled her nose.

"How are you feeling?" Ainsley sat in the visitor's chair.

"I'm bored."

"Like a very bored thing." Donna laughed. "But you get out of hospital this week, right?"

"Yes, but then it's more bed rest!"

Donna and Ainsley exchanged glances. "We've been chatting," Ainsley said, "and we have a proposition for you."

"I'm being propositioned by the former White House Counsel and the current assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff. Do you think _Scoop_ would be interested in my story?"

"Or we could leave you to be bored." Donna tilted her head towards the door.

"I'm listening."

"I'd like you to come stay with me while you're recovering," Donna said. "My roommate moved out a couple of weeks ago, so there's plenty of space."

Jamie stared at her. "You want me to live with you?"

"You don't have to answer right now."

"But wouldn't that be, like, seriously inconvenient for you?"

Donna shrugged. "I like taking care of my friends."

"And you're probably a much easier patient that Josh," Ainsley added.

"Donna, that's – Wow. I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll think about."

Jamie grinned. "My friends are going to be so jealous."

* * *

Sam was going over notes he'd made for a speech when Ginger knocked on his door. "The President wants to see you."

Sam knew better than to keep his boss waiting; he set the speech aside and stood. When he reached the Oval Office, Charlie told him to go on in.

"Good afternoon, sir."

Bartlet smiled. "How are you doing, Sam?"

Not sure where this was leading, Sam said, "Fine. How are you, Mr. President?"

"I need a vacation." He gestured for Sam to sit on the couch, and got up from his desk to join him. "How's married life?"

Sam couldn't help the smile that sprang to his lips. He didn't have time to speak before Bartlet continued.

"What exactly are your plans for when I'm no longer in office?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet. I want to stay in politics, I know that much." His smile softened. "Ainsley wants lots of children."

Bartlet chuckled. "Do you see yourself back in the White House at any point?"

"Sir, I—" Sam's gaze strayed to the desk.

"Go on, try it out."

"I couldn't—"

"I could make it an order."

Sam didn't need to be asked twice. He practically jumped up, then approached the desk almost reverently. Running his fingers across the surface, he circled it, then sat in Bartlet's chair.

"How does it feel?"

"Umm." Sam leaned back the chair.

"You look good there. I'd vote for you."

"Do you really think I could do it? A Democrat married to a Republican?" Sam ran his hands over the desk again. "I told her father I'd never put politics above her."

"If you remember that, you'll do just fine. Just think about it, Sam."

* * *

"I feel like I've stepped into Oz," Josh said as he entered Donna's apartment, followed by Sam.

"Well, we're definitely not in Kansas."

Josh just shook his head. "And you write speeches for the President."

"You guys are late," Donna called from the direction of the kitchen.

"What happened to your apartment?"

"It's Jamie's favorite movie." Ainsley entered the living room carrying two bowls of chips. She put one on the coffee table, within easy reach of Jamie, who was on the couch. She kept the other for herself and curled up in an armchair.

"And Jamie thought she wasn't crazy." Sam walked over to Ainsley. "Welcome to the nuthouse."

"I had nothing to do with the decorating." Jamie held up her hands in a gesture of innocence. "But I do like it."

Simone and Nicole came skipping from the kitchen, each dressed as a munchkin. Josh's eyes widened. "Donna, was this your idea?"

As he went to find Donna, Sam leaned to whisper in Ainsley's ear, "Guess who's going to be dressing their kids one day."

"Actually, I dressed the girls tonight."

Sam didn't skip a beat. "You're not dressing our children."

Jamie giggled. "But, Sam, they look so cute."

Nicole started climbing onto Sam's lap, then he picked her up and settled her comfortably. "I'm a pixie, Uncle Sam."

"No, you're not," Simone said. "We're mun . . . munch . . . umm . . ."

"Munchkins," Jamie supplied.

"I want to be a pixie," Nicole said.

"You can be my pixie." Sam straightened her hat, then smiled. "Okay, Ains, you win. They do look cute."

Jamie reached for the chips. "Someone's getting broody."

There was a knock at the door. No one moved to answer.

"I'm an invalid, sorry," Jamie said.

Sam grinned. "I have a pixie on my lap."

Ainsley stood. "Don't touch my chips."

When she opened the door, Simone squealed, "Daddy!"

Nate took one look around, and shook his head. "Ainsley, what have you done to my daughters?"

* * *

"It was a good party." Ainsley sat on the edge of the bath and watched Sam brush his teeth. "Jamie looked a little tired towards the end, didn't you think?"

"Mm-hmm."

"But she's looking much better than she did . . . before, you know?"

"Mmm."

Ainsley fidgeted with the end of her ponytail. "Did you notice Nate, oh, I don't know, do you think he was looking at her more than he usually does?"

Sam rinsed his mouth and turned to face her. "I don't know. I'm a guy. I'm clueless."

She threw a towel at him. "I'm serious. I thought he was paying more attention to her than usual."

"Ainsley, she's a pretty girl. Not that I've noticed," he added quickly.

"You don't think he's a bit old for her?"

"What about Calleigh and whatsisname? Her boss?"

"They're not actually together. But I see your point." She sighed. "It's just; Nate's been hurt really badly. Holly died in a car accident and I – I'm probably reading too much into this. Right?"

Sam sat next to her. "Right."

"So you'll talk to him?

"What? Ainsley—"

She kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Sam."


End file.
